I noted the minute about Crocodile Reservoir in the last Council minutes. I have been working on a short paper to help us make a decision about the location for 2009. I'll put a few extra bits in and send the draft to you today or tomorrow. I was hoping to have a meeting at Orange, but I just relalised you aren't going. It'll just be Jim and I.
The long and short of it is... before starting I was of the opinion we should use Stawell, and Jim was suggesting Wangaratta. In going through the process evaluating those options and Central Vic, I have ended up changing my mind towards Central Vic. You'll see why.
I drove past Stawell again last week. The black range looks really really good.
Haven't we exhausted all of the central Vic areas?
I'd love a good excuse to stop and have a run on my drives to Adelaide.
Black Range would be great, but after that there is nothing much else there worth considering. And we haven't done any leg work to get the various land holders on side. Then there is the issue of getting a club willing to take on the map, and the logistics. I'm not convinced.
As to Central Vic areas being exhausted... not by a long way. Where is this?
Black Range is good terrain.
Then there is the quality gold mining in the north east. Not much, but good quality. Couldn't get any good photos of that when I was there. The creek was in flood. Yep, a while ago 8-(
Black Range would be good as I believe it is complex sandstone terrain and a nice change from spur gully, gold mining or the granite we get around Central Victoria. And it opens up new areas for orienteering exposure. There has got to be suitable scrub on the Melbourne side, maybe not of such quality. Problem persuading a Melbourne club to take on a relatively remote area, but it would be worth it.
Wrong Black Range Oxoman. Black refers to a range that had indigneous occupants, so they are found in quite a few places, including on the east and west of the Grampians. To the west of the north Gramps is the sandstone Black Range, with a few scattered climbs. Wouldn't have thought it was notable orienteering terrain. To the east (and south east of Stawell) is the granite Black Range. Think Kooyoora on private land.
BTW the first three pictures were Mt Egbert near Wdderburn.
Thanks. I knew it wasn't the Balmoral Black Range which is good country. I was thinking of the area around Bunjil's Cave south of Stawell. I haven't been there for years and I thought it was sandstone.